Island



(No Model.)

H. T. SMITH.

DBVIGBFOR SUPPORTING SHELLS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEAMLBSS PLATED WIRE.

No. 434,681. Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY T. SMITH, OF PROVIDENCE, RIIODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE STANDARD SEAM LESS WIRE COMPANY,

OF SAME PLACE.

DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING SHELLS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF' SEAMLESS PLATED WIRE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,681, dated August 19, 1890.

Application filed May 17, 1890- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY T. SMITH, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of and Means for Holding Shells in Hammering the Same for the Production of Seamless Plated \Vire, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improvement in devices for supporting and controlling shells in the production of seamless plated wire for jewelers use.

In the operation of reducing and drawing r5 out shells or forming wire by the hammering process it is very essential to preserve the contour of the outer edge of the shell. If proper means are not employed for supporting the edge of the shell, a serious trouble is caused by an uneven extension-of the same,

and through continued hammering or the' drawing-out operation the unevenness is rapidly increased, resulting in a large amount of waste and great trouble in the further treat- 2 5 ment of shell in the production of wire therefrom.

By my invention the objections mentioned are entirely overcome, the said invention consisting in means for holding the shell with 0 a yielding pressure at the edge and at a central point of the dome or closed end of the shell and feeding the said shell parallel with the action of the hammering means, and so that the edges of the shell shall be main- 3 5 tained in a position at right angles to the line of feed or hammering action, all as Iwill now proceed to describe and claim.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings and the letters of reference marked 40 thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same letters designating the same parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

Of the said drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved means without a shell or cup in place thereon and without the devices for applying pressure upon the closed end 'of the shell. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the device com= Serial No. 352,249. (No model.)

plete, a shell being in position upon the ends of the spring-fingers. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2, the shell being represented as hammered out to some extent. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line of Fig. 3.

In the drawings, Ct designates fingers secured at their rearward ends to a hub 19, which in turn is secured to the forward end of a shaft 0.

As herein shown, the hub b is provided in its periphery with dovetail grooves, and the rearward ends of the fingers a are correspondingly formed and fitted in the said grooves, as is shown at d, Fig. 4, the fingers being secured in place in the grooves by screws 0, though any other suitable means of fastening the fingers t0 the hub or connecting them with shaft 0 may be employed. The fingers a may be constructed-and arranged so as to spring outward at their forward ends, as is shown in Fig. 1. A rod f is secured at its rearward end to the forward end of the shaft 0, (though in some constructions it might as well be to the hub 17,) and extends forward beyond the forward ends of the spring-fingers a, where it is provided with a screw-threadfor the reception of a nut g. The forward ends of the spring-fingers a are reduced in size and are provided with shoulders or offsets h, so that the initial cup or shellt' may be placed upon the ends of the fingers with its edge j resting against the said shoulders, the outer face of the shell extending beyond the outer face of the fingers, as is seen in Fig. 2.

In placing the shell upon the fingers the free end of the latter may be sprung inward, and when the shell is in place the fingers may be released, so that the shell may be held laterally, as it were, with a yielding pressure.

The form of holding device for the shell, as thus far described, may be greatly varied; but, as shown, it willbe found efficient for the purpose, particularly with respect to the necessary laterally-yielding feature.

The shell, previous to being placed on the ends of the spring-fingers, may have a hole formed through the dome or closed end at a central point, so that the end of the rod f may project therethrough, and so that a spring Z may be interposed between the outer closed end of the shell, and the nut or a washer m, arranged on the rod between the nut and spring.

By the means described a device is provided whereby the shell may be held longitudinallythat is, with its edge j pressed against the shoulders h with a yielding pressure.

Like the laterally-holding part of the holding device, the longitudinally-holding part may be varied in form and construction, so long as the yielding feature is preserved.

In the use of the device the rod may be employed as a feeding means to present the shell to the action of the hammering means, (not shown,) which will act upon the outer face of the shell in the common or in any suitable way to beat out or elongate the shell, the holding device being moved in aline parallel with the action of the hammering means and turned to present all points of the outer face to the hammering means. The outer surface of the shell, extending beyond the outer face of the ends of the spring-fingers, prevents the hammering means from acting upon the latter. As the shell becomes elongated and reduced in diameter, as will be understood by a comparison of the shell in Fig. 2 with that shown in Fig. 3, the fingers will yield laterally or inwardly to permit of the reduction on diameter of the shell, while the spring Z will permit of the shell being elongated, the spring becoming compressed as the shell is drawn out. When the shell becomes reduced in diameter by the drawingout or hammering process, as is indicated in Fig. 5, it may be removed from the holding device upon which it was first placed and placed upon one of smaller size to further reduce the diameter. By moving the holderin a line parallel with the action of the hammering means and maintaining the edge j against the shoulders it no uneven extension of the edges, and consequently no wastage, will be occasioned.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described a way of constructing and practicing the same, I .declare that what I claim is 1. A device for presenting a shell to the action of hammering means, consisting of a yielding lateral holder adapted to engage the edge of the shell, and a yielding longitudinal holder adapted to engage the end of the shell, as set forth.

2. The springfingers a, provided with shoulders, combined with a yielding longitudinal holder adapted to engage the shell at its closed end, as set forth.

3. A yielding lateral holder adapted to en gage the edge of the shell,combined with the rodf, nut g, and spring I, as set forth.

4. A holder for holding a shell in the process of hammering or drawing out the same, consisting of spring-fingers having offset or shouldered ends, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 12th day of May, A. D. 1890.

HENRY '1. SMITH. Witnesses:

EDWARD W. BLODGETT, CHARLES D. Nona. 

